Salma Hayek Reveals She Had A Near-Fatal Case Of COVID-19

Salma Hayek revealed that she had a serious bout with COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic. She spent most of the last year recovering from the near-fatal illness. Hayek chose to keep her struggle with virus and recovery quiet until this week.

Hayek said that her doctor, upon realizing the full extent of her illness, pleaded with her to go to the hospital. Hayek told him that she’d “rather die at home” than in a hospital, she told Variety.

The 54-year-old actress was on bottled oxygen at one point. She spent a total of seven weeks isolated in the home she shares with her husband, Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault, and their 13-year-old daughter, Valentina. Hayek said that she still hasn’t recovered the energy that she once had. However, she went back to work in April.

As the pandemic drags on, more and more reports of COVID-19’s long-term effects have come out. Celebrities like Alyssa Milano and Gwenyth Paltrow have been public about their lasting struggles with the illness. Milano said that she suffers from hair loss, something which affects 26% of people with long-term symptoms, according to Survivor Corps. She revealed this in a Twitter post where she also said, “Thought I’d show you what #Covid19 does to your hair. Please take this seriously. #WearADamnMask #LongHauler”

COVID-19 has left Paltrow with “some long-tail fatigue and brain fog,” according to an article she posted on her blog Goop. She also added, “In January, I had some tests done that showed really high levels of inflammation in my body.”

Other celebrities have also been open about their struggles with COVID-19. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were some of the first to reveal that they had tested positive for the virus. They, along with actor Bryan Cranston, have since donated their plasma for research.

There is little data on how many COVID-19 patients experience long-term effects, but it seems to be a growing percentage. Only further research will show the lasting effects of the virus. The CDC has a list of long-term symptoms that may affect even those who only had a mild bout of the illness.